The heavy non-stop rainfall in South Sulawesi area from Monday 21 January onwards caused over 100 meter increase in the water level of the Bili-Bili reservoir. The next day, the government decided to open the Bili-Bili reservoir spillway to normalise the water level. However, as a result of this decision, the nearby Jeneberang river overflowed, causing flooding in the surroundingh Gowa District.
According to the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNBP), some 106 villages in 13 districts have been affected by the floods.